Putting a wig on a ventriloquist figure can be a challenging task. The first thing you must try and do is find a wig that is small. Most wigs that you can purchase in the stores are for adult heads. Ventriloquist figures use a small child’s size wig. If you have a wig shop near you many times they will carry wigs for children that have cancer. These wigs work rather well but depending on what they are made from they can be expensive.
You first lay a piece of clear plastic on the figures head and mark with magic marker the exact line for where the from hair will sit then go around the ears and then around the back of the head. This will form a plastic template of the figures hairline. Now you place that inside the wig and start to cut. I always cut a bit over the line because you are going to have hair loss due to unraveling of the wig.
Once you have cut away the excess of the wig you can place it on the figures head and you will find it fits rather nicely at this point. Now depending on what your figure is made from you can decide how to attach the wig.
I like to use carpet tacks in the wooden heads but in resign heads I will use staples and hot glue. Hot glue is a must for the front hairline to really keep it in place and it works very quick so make sure you have the wig placed in the exact spot. Gluing the side burns also eliminates them from not lying flat to the head.
Once you have the wig on the head then you can brush it to where you like, use thinning shears to eliminate some bulk and use very sharp scissors to trim. I prefer scissors with a very short blade for the trimming.
Paula Young wigs sells a model named Abbey which comes in a mini petite size and I have used this wig many times but it still requires quite a bit of cutting to make work but after a few times you will get the hang of it.
Dan
www.ventriloquistcentral.com
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Ventriloquist Central is the brainchild of Dan Willinger and Steve Hurst. Dan is a ventriloquism enthusiast and ventriloquist figure collector. He has been collecting for over 25 years. He created the Ventriloquist Central Collection. It now has over 100 ventriloquist figures and over 50 of them are Frank Marshall figures. Steve is a ventriloquist as well as builder of ventriloquist figures. He also has a background in sales, marketing, building websites and computers. Because they both love the art of ventriloquism, the website Ventriloquist Central was born. For more information about the website, go to: http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com
Copyright 2013 by Dan Willinger and Steve Hurst
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Cutting a wig takes a lot of patience but one wrong snip and the wig could be useless. When cutting a wig, always cut from the inside part, never cut the hair but cut the mesh that the hair is connected to. If you cut the hair, it will be cut wrong and become loose and you will find most of it on the floor. If it is cut from the mesh, the hair is still connected and you can trim it once it is attached to the head. Remember this rule:
Measure twice Cut ONCE.